TravelStream™ news feed for member beckysan on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/beckysan en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:38:21 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1236595380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1236595380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1236595380/tpod.html Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:38:21 -0400 Finding Myself in SE Asia

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Phuket, Thailand

My dreams of becoming the World Muay Thai Champion in just 4 weeks have been shattered, twice over. First, last Tuesday I woke up and found that I could barely walk due to a foot injury. Considering that I am at a martial arts camp, I feel as though there should be some dramatic fight story behind the injury. The sad reality, however, is that I threw one too many kicks with my foot flexed rather than pointed.

Just as my foot began to recover towards the end of last week, the gym population was struck by an outbreak of Staph infection. I appointed myself resident Staph Nazi, outing new cases and ensuring that the affected stay out of the ring. The way I see it, the Staph threat has the potential to transform a routine sparring match into a recreational form of biological warfare. My friend Allen is a third-year medical student, but for all intensive purposes he might as well be a full-blown MD specializing in infectious diseases. Every hour or so he is approached by another patient asking him to check out a suspicious spot on their body, the majority of which turn out to be mosquito bites.

So my Muay Thai career is temporarily on hold, but that doesn't mean I haven't been keeping myself busy (double negative?). I've been doing a lot of beaching and spa-ing and even some partying. On Friday I went with some friends to my first ever Muay Thai fight in Patong. Three of the trainers from the gym fought, as well as two of the Westerners that I train with. My favorite part of the fight was the ritual dance performed by the opponents before each match. The first time we were taught the dance at the gym I thought the trainers were just messing with us, but it's actually one of the most important parts of the entire fight. Here's a video from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acsCSSNieV8&feature=related.

Meanwhile, encounters with Thailand's sex trade have become an everyday occurrence. On Friday at lunch I realized that I hadn't seen my friend Noah in about a week. Just as I was about to inquire into his whereabouts, he materialized on his balcony, along with a Thai girl that couldn't have been more than 16. On Saturday we ran into Noah and his "girlfriend" at the movies. I refused to say "hi" and instead gave him the special frown that I reserve for admonishing sex tourists - it's pretty much the same look I would give somebody who I caught in the act of kicking a kitten.

Yesterday I was eating breakfast with some friends when a Thai girl emerged from out of the bushes, dressed in a miniskirt, halter top, and high heels. We just sat and stared, while the owner of the guest house quickly called a cab and saw her safely back to Patong. Last night a few of us gathered in one of the rings for a casual sparring match. Due to my injury, I wasn't able to participate, so I sat on the side of the ring and watched, alongside the Thai "girlfriend" of one of the Western guys. It's reached the point where I would be shocked not to encounter a hooker at least once during the day.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1234798080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1234798080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1234798080/tpod.html Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:29:34 -0500 Finding Myself in SE Asia

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Singapore, Singapore

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]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1235483820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1235483820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1235483820/tpod.html Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:11:12 -0500 Finding Myself in SE Asia

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Phuket, Thailand

Despite the fact that I am completely exhausted and can barely put together a full sentence, I suppose it's about that time again...time for another blog entry. I'm one week into a month of Muay Thai boxing training at Tiger Gym on the island of Phuket. My days begin at 7:30 AM with a 5K run, followed by a half hour skipping rope warm-up, and then 2 hours of Muay Thai training with pads, bags, and trainers. At 11:00 we break for lunch and then the whole 3.5 hour ordeal begins again at 3:30. It's sort of intense. Today was a big day for me because I got promoted to the intermediate class.

I'm still getting used to the whole "fighting" thing. It's one thing to workout with a bag or pads, but sparring in the ring is a whole new ballgame; a ballgame in which you get punched in the face repeatedly. Even worse than getting punched in the face is punching somebody else in the face. I have to struggle to suppress the apology reflex every time I land a punch or a kick.

I've experienced various forms of culture shock throughout my travels, but when I arrived at Tiger Gym I was propelled into the most shocking culture of them all: A world of male chauvinism and testosterone and chemically enhanced muscles and too many tattoos. The nearby city of Patong is Thailand's infamous sex trade capital and I fortuitously arrived at Tiger the day after a group night out on Patong. Oh man, the stories I heard. Here's one guy's version of how to bargain with a sex worker: "Most girls will start off at 3,000 Baht. But what you tell them is, 'My rate is 2,000 Baht so I'll subtract that from yours and pay you 1,000 Baht'. They love it when you mess with them. It works every time." Here's another Patong tip: If you happen to find yourself at the Sleep With Me Hotel, be sure not to leave your room in the middle of the night, because you will need to pay a full night's rate every time you want to re-enter the room.

I realize I'm not painting a pretty picture of this place. I think it's the fatigue talking, because I actually LOVE it here. I've made lots of friends, none of them sex worker patrons, and I truly enjoy the full days of working out in 95 degree heat surrounded by palm trees and other tropical stuff. Ok, my eyes are slowly starting to close. More gym stories to follow.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1234506960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1234506960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1234506960/tpod.html Tue, 17 Feb 2009 02:14:39 -0500 Finding Myself in SE Asia

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Melaka, Malaysia

I'd like to open with a public service announcement: If you ever find yourself in Melaka, DO NOT stay at Shira's Guest House. Ugh, I have such a litany of complaints I don't even know where to start. I guess I'll start with the bathroom: There was only one...for 10 guests. Of the 10 guests I held several distinctions: I was the only Westerner, the only female, and the only paying guest. The other "guests" were all friends, family, or business partners of the owner; nocturnal chain-smokers who stayed up through the entire night yelling and smoking in the kitchen. My room shared a wall with the kitchen and there were several holes in the wall so that the smoke and the conversation flowed freely between the kitchen and my room. Every hour or so I would get up and make an appearance in the kitchen, arms crossed and scowling so that they would know I did not approve. They would politely offer me coffee, as if their talking alone wasn't sufficient to prevent me from sleeping. At some point, probably around 4 am, one of the men offered me some sort of food wrapped in a banana leaf. I've been conditioned to associate a banana leaf with pure deliciousness - usually sweet beans or sticky rice - so I could not refuse. I unwrapped the banana leaf, plopped the white morsel into my mouth, and immediately began to gag. Fermented rice soaked in whiskey - I suppose the Malay equivalent of a Jello shot, except totally disgusting. I was angry, but also hopeful that the whiskey might help me sleep. I think it actually worked. I didn't wake up again until 8 am.

Ok, enough complaining. Guest House aside, Melaka provided a great opportunity to soak up some Malaysian history. The town has been colonized by pretty much everybody: Portuguese, Dutch, French and Chinese. This makes for some breathtaking architecture, most of which has been wonderfully preserved. (Some to the point of excess, so that I felt at points as though I was in Epcott Center rather than Malaysia). Most of the tourists are Singaporeans who travel to Melaka for the delicious "Baba Nonya" cuisine, which combines elements from traditional Chinese and Malay dishes. As usual, I was particularly impressed by the desserts. My favorite was Cendol: A pile of shaved ice topped with coconut milk, palm sugar syrup, green-bean flour noodles, kidney beans, and sometimes corn. I also enjoyed the pineapple tarts, a traditional dessert prepared to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Several shops in town claimed to have baked the largest pineapple tart ever known to man. The tarts were prominently displayed in the storefronts and all seemed to be about the same size. Most notable was the fact that the pineapple tart competition was held in 2004, so all of the tarts were about 5 years old.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1233903180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1233903180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1233903180/tpod.html Sat, 07 Feb 2009 03:28:54 -0500 Finding Myself in SE Asia

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Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia

In describing the two days I just spent in Malaysia's Cameron Highlands, the first word that comes to mind is "retreat". A hill station situated 6000 ft. above sea level, The Cameron Highlands offers mountains of undeveloped forest and rain forest, traversed by a series of well-marked trails, tea plantations, flower gardens, vegetable farms, and fruit orchards. This was another destination that had me feeling as though I was on a vacation from my vacation.

I only had one day to take in all of the sights, so I signed up for a full day "Adventure Tour", which included jungle trekking and visits to an aborigine village, waterfall, butterfly and insect museum, tea plantation, and a strawberry farm. The tour was notable, not so much for the itinerary, as for the surly and disgruntled tour guide. At every stop he had a new complaint. At the tea plantation: "I don't like tea. I only like coffee." At the mossy forest: "This forest is so boring." At the insect museum: "Insects are not my friends". And at the waterfall: "This waterfall is so dirty. Do you smell that? The village people use the waterfall as a toilet." I was the only person who signed up for the full day tour, and after lunch he told me the story of how his day had unfolded: "This morning I was very happy because I only had to do a half day tour. Then I came to the office and my boss told me that one person had signed up for the full day tour and I knew it would be a bad day" I'm always happy to ruin somebody's day...I feel like an emoticon might be useful here. Ok, here it is: :-)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1233642300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1233642300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1233642300/tpod.html Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:52:43 -0500 Finding Myself in SE Asia

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Pulau Penang, Pinang, Malaysia

One thing I've learned about myself on this trip is that I'm a city mouse, as opposed to a country mouse or an island mouse. (Yes, yes, I realize I am not a mouse). Don't get me wrong, I've treasured my jungle, beach, and mountain adventures, but nothing compares to the visceral rush of amazement that overcomes me every time I enter a foreign city for the first time. My arrival in Penang was no exception. Many travelers told me not to even bother with Penang - they labeled it as dirty, sketchy, and boring - and I am so glad I didn't follow their advice. While Malaysia is often described as a melting pot, I would elevate Penang to "boiling cauldron" status. First, it is super HOT (temperature wise). Second, it is impossible to take a single step in Penang without gaining insight into or consuming a cultural artifact from one of Malaysia's three main ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, and Indian.

On the subject of consumption, Penang is best known for its street food. Here's a NYT article about the food in Penang: http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/11/05/travel/05choice.html. Needless to say, I've been happy to partake in all the culinary delights that the city has to offer. Highlights have been a tandoori naan set, curry mee, and about 10 different types of samosas. The tandoori and samosas left me questioning whether I will ever again patronize an Indian food restaurant in the US. Curry Mee is a soup-type dish combining egg noodles, spicy-coconut curry, bean sprouts, cuttlefish, beancurd, and mint, and topped with fried noodles and dumplings.

I did have one notable encounter with the sketchier side of Penang. After arriving on the ferry, I decided to take a taxi to my guest house in Chinatown. (I later discovered that they are only about 4 blocks apart). Here is the conversation I had with the taxi driver:

Taxi: Where is your boyfriend?
Me: At home.
Taxi: You like to drink drink?
Me: No.
Taxi: You like to smoke cigarette?
Me: No
Taxi: You like to [something something] tonight?
Me: What?
Taxi: You like to [something] with me tonight?
Me: No!
[The cab stops.]
Taxi driver: Ok, we here. Get out.

Of course, we had yet to reach my guest house. I eventually convinced him to drive me all the way, but neither of us were happy. My new goal is to make it through the next two months without taking another taxi ride.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1233495300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1233495300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1233495300/tpod.html Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:57:08 -0500 Finding Myself in SE Asia

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Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia

Yesterday was a big day for me. I had initially planned on yet another day of beach bumming, but as I crossed the street towards the shore, something miraculous occurred: I looked in the right direction for oncoming traffic (right rather than left). If you recall, this was my litmus test for motorbike preparedness, so I turned right around and headed to the nearest moto rental shop where I picked myself up a hot pair of wheels.

For most backpackers, motorbiking is par for the course, but after 3.5 months of exploring the region by foot and bicycle, for me it was a rite of passage. I couldn't have picked a better place for the milestone. As far as islands go, Langkawi is pretty much perfect. Long stretches of soft sand enclose an interior landscape of jungles, mountains, and farmland. In 1986 the island was designated a duty free zone, and many find fault in the resultant concrete malls and fast-food restaurants, but at this point I'm all for a twist of globalization in my SE Asia cocktail (har har). [As an aside, I've never quite understood the whole duty free thing. No tax on chocolate, cigarettes, alcohol, and perfume...big deal.]

So I'm only slightly hesitant to admit that the first stop on my motorbike tour was KFC. That's right, good ol' Kentucky Fried Chicken. I spent most of my life living right behind a KFC, and never once did I willingly set foot in the place. That's because the KFCs at home do not serve corn ice cream sundaes. I swear, it's the best dessert ever: Soft serve vanilla ice cream topped with a mixture of fresh corn, butter, and sugar.

My next stop was the Langkawi Cable Car, the island's newest attraction and deservedly its most popular. A cable car transports visitors 700 meters between two mountain peaks, where you can stop and mount a suspension bridge for stunning views of the Langkawi archipelago and beyond.

After the cable car, I got a little carried away with the whole motorbike thing and embarked on an ambitious circuit of the entire island. I'd say the biggest difference between a car and a motorbike is that the latter necessitates sunscreen. I'll remember that for next time.

I'm happy to say that I got through the entire day without a single accident. And I only drove on the wrong side of the road twice. That's not to say that there were no significant driving hazards. The trip was essentially a wildlife obstacle course: First I had to swerve out of the way of a donkey, next I had to weave through a pack of wild monkeys, then a herd of cattle, and finally I was forced to come to a full on stop for an extended face off with a 5 foot long dinosaur-type thing. Overall, a really good day.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1233140100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1233140100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1233140100/tpod.html Wed, 28 Jan 2009 07:32:51 -0500 Finding Myself in SE Asia

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Ko Lanta, Thailand

Some of my faithful readers (ahem, Mom, Ellen) have professed their concern regarding my recent absence from the blogosphere. The truth is that I haven't had a free second for the past week. Well ok, the truth is that I haven't felt like spending my free seconds in front of a computer reflecting on my experiences.

I just arrived in Malaysia after a week on Ko Lanta in Thailand. On a recent snorkeling trip, one of my friends taught me an old Irish saying, "All good things start slow". That pretty much sums up my Ko Lanta experience. I arrived on the island on Jan. 20th. It was supposed to be the best day ever, but without any friends to celebrate with, I was at a loss for a meaningful way to welcome in the new President and I came down with a severe case of homesickness. My only consolation was watching 1.5 million people shivering in the cold on the National Mall as I sat in 90 degree heat, wiping the sand from between my toes.

I decided urgent action was necessary to combat my homesickness and the best thing I could come up with was to sign on for a week of intensive Muay Thai training at the Lanta Gym. So on Jan. 21st I moved into my new room at the gym and started a program of 3 - 5 hours of training every day. Turns out that kicking and punching things is the perfect antidote for traveler's dysphoria. It also provided an invaluable opportunity to hang out with a gang of Muay Thai boxers and a band of Western misfits (One Canadian guy came to the gym with the intent purpose of refining his techniques for on-the-ice hockey fights. He had to remove one of his front teeth before meals.)

I also found myself a Thai manfriend named Aeki. Aeki is one of the trainers at the gym. My second day there he took me to his auntie's restaurant for the best papaya salad ever. We immediately hit it off and were pretty much inseparable for the rest of the week. In between training sessions he took me around the island on his motorbike and brought me to the best beaches, bars, restaurants, and "chill out spots". Everyday at noon we went to the pier to hand out fliers for the gym to tourists disembarking from the ferries. I never thought I would find myself on the other end of tourist touting. Actually, I never thought I would be spending a week on an island with a professional Muay Thai fighter.

Now I'm in Malaysia on the island of Langkawi. My plan is to make my way to the capitol, Kuala Lampur, where I can pick up a 2 month Thailand tourist visa and then head back to Ko Lanta for some more Muay Thai training. So basically, you should all be very afraid of me when I get home.

I've really been enjoying the Thai reggae. Here's a link to one of my favortie songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAdZzr0ysxg
This is actually everybody's favorite song. On an average night I can expect to hear it at least 5 times.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1232016000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1232016000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1232016000/tpod.html Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:41:13 -0500 Finding Myself in SE Asia

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Ko Phi Phi Don, Thailand

Translucent turquoise water, limestone cliffs, white crescent beaches, a lush green interior...I arrived on Phi Phi Island yesterday and I don't think I will ever leave. I'm staying in my own private bungalow right on the beach - Something about the combination of ocean and palm trees forces me to deny ever having had a travel budget. A small voice in the back of my head keeps repeating the mantra, "Life is good, life is good, life is good..." I feel as though I'm on a honeymoon with myself. Don't worry, it's not too late to send me a gift, I'm registered at Barney's and Bloomingdales.

My Thailand travel ambitions were first conceived in high school after watching the movie, The Beach. I thought this an eccentric and noteworthy inspiration until I came to Thailand and found myself amid the ranks of thousands of other Beach disciples. The movie, released in 1995, was filmed on the national marine park of Phi Phi Ley, elevating Phi Phi Island to "required" status on any backpacker's itinerary. I'm marveling at the effect one movie can have on an entire island. Prior to 1995, the island was an elusive piece of paradise with very little in the way of tourist infrastructure. Post-The Beach, tourism on the island has virtually exploded. Again and again across SE Asia I've witnessed the same phenomenon: While a boon for local economies, tourism is invariably coupled with unsustainable development, threatening the regions' cultures and environment.

Phi Phi Island was particularly hard hit by the Boxing Day Tsunami that struck 12 countries in 2004. Every standing structure in the central Tonsai Village was destroyed by the waves. I'm staying on a 1 km stretch of sand on Tonsai Bay that is ominously marked as the "Tsunami Hazard Zone". Somewhat reassuring is the newly constructed Tsunami Evacuation Route, which weaves directly beside my bungalow. Despite an ambitious and swift reconstruction effort, much of the island remains scarred with piles of rubble, shipwrecked long tail boats, and stumps of trees. In the race for recovery, local business-owners have abandoned all pretensions and aesthetics in favor of speed. The result is a town constructed entirely of tarps and plywood, looking more like a market or fairground than a central port. My "guest house" does not even have a main desk or reception area; It's just a strip of bungalows on the beach. When the woman gave me the key to my bungalow, I asked her the name of the place. After an extended pause she replied, "Nice Bungalows".

Although the Tsunami was over 4 years ago, the emotional scars and trauma left it its wake are still palpable. Last night as I was waiting for my dinner, the owner of the restaurant, Mr. Soda, presented me with a book of photos detailing the post-Tsunami devastation. I later found out that Mr. Soda had been buried under 3 meters of rubble and after many hours, during which he thought he would die, was finally rescued by two Western tourists. He is thankful to the Tsunami for the chance to reopen his restaurant. [I'm still not quite sure of the logic in that statement.]

It occurs to me that this entry is premature, seeing as I have yet to actually visit The Beach (AKA Maya Bay). I'm going there tomorrow and I'll be sure to update the entry when I return.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1231664580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1231664580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/beckysan/1/1231664580/tpod.html Sun, 11 Jan 2009 06:31:00 -0500 Finding Myself in SE Asia

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Krabi, Thailand

I've been a little stressed about finding a job when I return home, so I decided to beef up my resume with a new qualification: Open Water Diver. I just spent 5 days in an Open Water Diver course at the Buddha View Diver Resort on Ko Tao, learning about buoyancy, water currents, water pressure, and so much more. We even had homework. Included in the course were 5 dives to various reefs around the island. I instantly fell in love with scuba diving. With 18 meters of water between me and the surface, I actually felt a complete sense of calm and safety - my only thoughts were of the various fishes and corals that surrounded me.

Here's a list of the best fishes (preferred plural form in Thailand) that I saw: Female and male box fish, titan trigger fish, white eyed moray eel, scribble tail filefish, clark's anenomefish, longfin bannerfish, tube anemone, barracuda, clown fish (Nemo), angel fish, harlequin sweetlips, butterfly fish, golden damsel, and red breasted wrasse. Here's a list of the fish I didn't see but that everybody else saw: Whale Shark. The largest fish in the sea and somehow I managed to miss it. Grrrrr! After the course ended I stayed on an extra day to complete 2 more dives and hopefully find that elusive Whale Shark. No luck. I was tempted to stay at Buddha View for the remainder of my trip, but diving is an expensive habit and the remainder of my trip would have been reduced to less than a month.

I'm in Krabi now with 2 Irish girls that I met diving. I've started to pick up some of their vernacular. For example, yesterday I wanted to ask whether we should cross to the other end of the beach, but it came out as, "Do you reckon we're meant to head over there?" The journey from Koh Tao to Krabi was quite perilous and I was so grateful for their company. I've written about Sleeper Trains and Sleeper Buses, well, here's a new one to add to the list: Sleeper Boat. There are 7 stages of riding on a sleeper boat: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance, I want my mommy!, and Total Nausea. The passengers were packed into the boat like sardines and I swore our final destination would be Ellis Island. It's been almost 36 hours since I disembarked and I still feel the ground rocking beneath me.
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